Legend of the Vizards
by Kerim
Summary: The Vizards, a race thought lost to legend after the Discovery of Dust. The last of their kind faces a difficult road, fraught with action, adventure, redemption, and perhaps the most dangerous of all, being the mentor to four teenage girls.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Okay, so this is something which has been bugging me for awhile after watching RWBY. Since it's christmas break I actually got motivated to sit down and spit the damn thing out. The potential Bleach crossover was too good to pass up. The Grimms look so much like Hollows, that the rest was a simple jump away to work out. Alright, so I'm pretty sure chapter one will be pretty good at setting up just how the crossover is going to work. **_

"This is even worse than I was expecting."

Two men were standing in what could only be described as a war zone. They had been sent out when reports of a massive fire had been received. Where once may have been a village, there was now nothing more than smoldering rubble and debris. The first man, perhaps late twenties with prematurely grey hair and glasses pointed towards the destroyed buildings with a cane. "There wasn't a fight here at all; somebody wanted this place completely burned to the ground."

"Grimm possibly?" the second man asked. He was older, stoutly built, and carried a large axe across his back. He seemed almost regal in appearance; his most notably feature being his large moustache which matched his slowly greying hair.

"Doubtful Peter." The younger man replied, walking through the rubble. "This is too focused. This has to be the work of a person…no a group."

"This makes me sick." The now named Peter said, pulling up fallen timbers and digging through the debris. "They have enough to worry about here in the outskirts with the Grimm, who would do something like this?"

"Someone who wants something gone." The younger man muttered mostly to himself. This was a simple farming town out in the middle of nowhere. They were nearing the borders of what was considered safe; the areas the huntsmen and huntresses had control of. "Whatever did it must not have known where it was."

"What makes you say that?"

"This was a very methodical attack." The younger man explained, gesturing in a wide arc. "Every single structure in the area has been incinerated. Whatever it was, they wanted it gone." The situation didn't make any sense. What could a place like this have that would cause someone to do this? That and…

"Ozpin."

The younger man turned to face his older partner. "What is it?"

"Something doesn't add up here."

"Are you referring to how there don't seem to be any remains?"

"Wha…well yes actually." The older man replied. "For a town this size, for something like this to happen and nothing to be left behind…"

"Yes, it doesn't add up." Ozpin strode over to another burned pile. "Either everyone got out alive, which I highly doubt, or they were taken away. But why would they take them away then burn down the town?" It had to be one of those two options, unless the fire was burning at a ridiculously high temperature, something would be left behind. He began to dig out the pile, hoping to find some clue. He didn't see anything, but what he heard stopped him in his tracks. "Breathing…Peter get over here!" The second man sprinted over to his partner. "Someone's buried under this; we have to dig him out!" The two men frantically dug at the still smoldering rubble, trying to find the person buried beneath it. They continued until they found what they were looking for. "My…god."

What they had found could only be described as a man in the loosest use of the word. It held the correct shape, but the figure's body had been blackened from the flames. It was obviously that it wouldn't be around much longer. A raspy, barely audible wheeze echoed from its downward facing mouth. "Ichi…" the figure half wheezed, half growled out.

The two men, no longer shocked by their discovery began to gently flip the man over. To their dismay, the burns were just as bad on his front as they were on his back. What drew their attention most however was what it wore on its face, a bone white mask vaguely in the shape of a skull partially blackened by the same fires which had burned the body. The younger of the two men went to remove the mask, but before his hand could touch it, the mask disappeared in a flash of black energy. Underneath it was revealed a miraculously unharmed man's face, possibly middle aged. What was left of his hair was a dark, chocolate brown. His ragged breathing revealed four overly sharp canines. "Get this man some water!" Ozpin all but shouted to his partner. The older man complied almost immediately, pouring small bits of his canteen into the man's open mouth. He drank greedily, and after a few seconds Ozpin asked him a question. "What…what happened here?"

"Th…they….anted….me." The man scratched out, each word seemingly causing him pain.

"What…wanted you?" Ozpin asked.

"Attack…town." The man continued.

"The town yes, what happened to the others?"

"I held….em off…long enough." He muttered before launching into a coughing fit.

"More water." Ozpin said, motioning for his partner to pore some more.

"ICHIGO, where is…where." The man lunged forward from the grasp of the men before falling back to the ground in pain, his body completely unwilling to move. "Where...where is he?"

"Who?" Ozpin asked.

"My…son."

Peter and Ozpin looked at each other quickly. There was another person in this pile. They knew what they had to do. Peter, being the larger of the two, dug down into the pile of ash and wood, his hands only stopping when he encountered a hard thunk. He quickly uncovered a rectangular box seemingly hewn from stone. Carefully picking up the box, the older man walked out of the pile of rubble.

"Ichigo!" The dying man shouted out, trying to crawl towards it. He hissed in pain as his wounds ground against the ground.

"Bring it over here!" Ozpin shouted out. After carefully placing down the stone box beside the dying man, Peter lifted its lid.

"WAAAGGHH!" The cries filled the area.

"It's a baby." Ozpin mumbled in amazement. All this destruction and a baby survived it?

"Ichigo…" the dying man mumbled, pulling himself over to look inside the box. Upon seeing the crying baby, tears welled up in his eyes. "He's ok…he's ok…" and with one last breath, he slumped down dead.

The two men stood in silence at what had just happened before them. A dying man giving the last of his strength to make sure his infant son was alive. It was sometime before either one of them spoke, the cries of the baby between them the only sound for miles.

"You saw what I saw Ozpin." Peter said first, looking down at the now deceased father. "The mask, the teeth, those eyes… I never would have thought I'd see one."

"A Vizard." The younger man continued. All those stories they had been told since childhood, and here one was before them. "But how can that be, even if they did exist thousands of years ago, they should all be dead by now."

"Obviously not." Peter added. "If what he says is true, he must have been able to buy time for everyone else to escape. If what you said before is true then what they were escaping from must have been a formidable force indeed." He glanced down at the still screaming baby between them. "What are we going to do with the little one? If he's that one's son, then he's probably a Vizard as well."

Ozpin looked down at the infant with pity. It couldn't be more than a year old and without a home, father, and likely its mother as well. "Tell me Peter, how much do you know about Vizards."

"They were humanities main force against the Grimm before the discovery of dust, kind of a mix between the two." The older man stated. "The process of becoming one was incredibly dangerous, and those who turned gained superhuman physical abilities, along with other dangerous side effects."

"Like what?"

"When their power is properly manifested, a white mask like those on the Grimm would appear on their face, their eyes would change as well." Peter continued. "Whenever the mask was donned, the eyes would blacken with a golden iris. There are also tales of highly aggressive if not violent behavior."

"How well did they do in human society?" Ozpin asked, reaching down to pick up the child.

"Mixed results, some better than other….what, you're not thinking about taking that thing back with us are you?" The older man half shouted in shock. That thing was Grimm at least in part, their natural enemy.

"It's a child without a home or parents." Ozpin said, cradling the baby. "What would you have me do, leave it out here for the wolves? Besides, it's the least we can do for that man." He looked down at burned remains of the boy's father. "He gave his life to let the others escape; we can at least give his son a chance."

"But…" Peter tried to protest.

"But nothing." Ozpin cut in. "Come on." He stated bluntly, turning away from his companion and back to the road. "We have a report to file.

IIIII

-19 years later-

"It's like a biiiiiiiiggg slumber party!" Yang flopped down beside her sister with a thump.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys though…" her younger sister Ruby replied, scribbling something down. The two of them were in a large room with all the other new students, preparing for their true initiation into the academy the next day.

"I know I do." The blonde answered with a growl. She took a look around the room, until something caught her eye. "What's that?" she asked, looking at what her sister was writing.

"Oh, just a letter back to the gang at Signal; I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things were going."

"Aww, that's so cuu-"Yang's reply was cut off by a well-placed pillow to the face, courtesy of her sister.

"Shut-up, I didn't get to bring my friends with me to school." Ruby said, annoyed. Normally she wouldn't even be able to come to Beacon for another 2 years, but because a certain silver haired professor took an interest in her, she had been allowed to attend early.

"What about Jean?" Yang asked, struggling to keep a straight face. "He's….nice. There you go, plus one friend! That's a one-hundred percent increase."

"Well I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend." Ruby said with a sigh, flipping onto her back to stare at the ceiling. "Back to zero."

"There's no such thing as a negative friend," the blonde countered. "You just made one friend and one enemy." She sighed. "Look, it's only been one day, trust me you have friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

A flick of a match drew their attention to another part of the large ballroom. A girl with long black hair and matching bow was sitting up against the wall, reading a book in the light of newly lit candles. "That girl…" Ruby thought aloud.

"You know her?"

"Not really, she saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."

"Well, now's your chance." Yang said, jumping up and pulling her sister with her. "Heeelllooo!" She called out to the girl, dragging Ruby behind her. "I believe you two may know each other?"

"Aren't you the girl that exploded?" she asked, looking up from her book.

"Uh yeah...my names Ruby." Ruby said nervously, beginning to extend her hand only to retract it quickly. "But you can call me…crater…uh…yeah just call me Ruby."

"…okay." The girl mumbled out annoyed, as she went back to her book.

"What are you doing?" Yang quickly whispered to her sister.

"I don't know help me!"

"So…uh… what's your name?" Yang scrambled.

"Blake."

"Well Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister." The blonde declared pointing to herself. "I like your bow!"

"Thanks." Blake answered simply.

"It goes great with your…pajamas!"

"…right."

"Nice night don't you think?"

"Yes, lovely. Almost as good as this book." She glared up at the two sisters. "Which I will continue to read as soon as you leave." She added, turning back to her book.

"Yeeahh, this girl's a lost cause." Yang said dismissively.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked.

"Huh?" Blake muttered looking up once again.

"What's it about? Does it have a name?"

"Well…it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body." Blake explained, obviously surprised someone had asked.

"Oh yeah, that's…lovely." Yang said with a roll of her eyes.

"Two souls…is it about the Vizards?" Ruby questioned.

Blake's eyes widened. "Actually yes." A small smile crossed her face. "But how did you know that?"

"I love books, Yang used to read to me every night before I went to sleep. Stories about heroes, monsters, the Vizards, they're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

"And why is that?" Blake chuckled. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after."

"Well I'm hoping we all will." answered Ruby. "As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books; someone who fought for what was right, and who protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

"That's a very ambitious goal for a child." Blake replied. "Unfortunately the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale." She added, seeming to look off into the distance.

"Well that's why we're here, to make it better."

"Ohhhh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang called out before glomping her sister in a massive hug, much to Ruby's dismay.

"What in the world is going on around here!?" A new voice called out, belonging to a girl with long white hair. "Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep!?"

"Oh not you agai-"

"Shhh, guys she's right people are trying to sleep." Ruby said worriedly.

"Oh now you're on my side."

"I was always on your side."

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister?" added Yang.

"She's a hazard to my health!"

After some time and much fighting, the girls all went their separate ways and crawled into their own sleeping bags. "Seriously, what is her problem?" Yang mumbled exasperated. Just being around her seemed to put her and her sister on edge.

"Just let it go Yang, hopefully she'll calm down." Ruby said with a sigh, trying to get comfortable.

"By the way, what was that thing you were talking to that girl about?" Yang asked.

"What, books?"

"No, what her book was about…lizards or something?"

"No, it was about the Vizards."

"What's a Vizard?"

"Yang you used to read those books to me when I was a kid, how do you not remember?"

"I don't remember everything I've ever read, cut me some slack."

Ruby sighed. "Ok, well where to start." The girl gathered her thoughts before continuing. "You know how it the war between humanity and the Grimm turned in our favor after we discovered dust right?"

"Yeah, everyone knows that."

"Well before that, legend has it that the Vizards were our greatest defense before its discovery."

"So they were a bunch of knights or something?"

"Not at all." Ruby continued. "A person without dust or Aura wouldn't have a chance against most of the monsters out there, especially that long ago. The Vizards were an attempt to bridge the gap between humans and Grimm."

"Whoa, like a werewolf or something?!" Yang asked excitedly.

"Not quite." Ruby answered. "Somehow they figured out how to cross the two into something else…something better. Imagine a person with the strength to stop a car with their bare hands, to shrug off a blast from a cannon. Hunters and huntresses defeat the Grimm with technology and skill, the Vizards did it through brute strength."

"Well that sounds awesome." Yang commented. "An army of supermen punching giant monsters in the face. Why don't they still do that?"

"Well, according to legend the process was incredibly dangerous; thousands may have died just to get one successful result. Once dust was discovered, the human cost was just too great."

"Wait, how could they have done that way back then, wasn't that thousands of years ago?" the older sister asked.

"Like I said, it's just a legend." Ruby said with a yawn, rolling over to sleep. "I doubt it ever really happened."

"Shame, I'd like to meet one."

IIIII

Professor Ozpin sat in his office, gazing lazily out of his window. Something had been on his mind for some time now. He was pulled from his thoughts with a sharp knock on his door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Glynda. "So, what is it you needed to speak with me about?" asked the huntress, taking a seat.

"Well simply put I'm going to institute a change in how the freshman teams are going to be formed this year." Ozpin replied, putting down his coffee.

"How so? The four person team format has worked well for decades, why change it now?"

"The four person format will stay the same, I assure you." Ozpin replied with a wave of his hand. "However, I want to put these teams under the guidance of some of the upperclassmen outside of the classroom."

"What would be the point?" Glynda asked, skeptically.

"The professors have to deal with a large volume of students; I think assigning the senior class to assist the freshman could help both parties. The seniors can add to their experience and the transition could be made far easier for the freshman."

"Wouldn't that interfere with the team dynamics Ozpin?" the huntress asked. "We assign team leaders for a reason. Such a system could hurt their growth."

"You misunderstand." The headmaster continued. "The team leaders would still have final say in their own teams. The assigned member of the senior class would simply act as a mentor or tutor when necessary; one which would only have the members of one team to assist."

"hmmm" the stern huntress hummed in thought. The ideas made perfect sense, but why bring it up now? The teams would be decided in less than a week. "Professor Ozpin, may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"Just what kind of students do you think could fill this role?"

"No less than the best of course." He answered. "Students with stellar records and high marks would be the first considered for such positions. In fact…" The man reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a stack of papers. "…I made up a list of candidates last night; I was hoping you could look through it."

The blonde huntress accepted the stack with a nod. She began to scan through the papers. She recognized many of the names on the list, bright examples of the academies students, with even brighter futures ahead of them. An entire incoming class held under the wing of the exiting best; if everything was as Ozpin said, perhaps this idea would have some merit... her eyes locked onto a name. Then again, maybe not. "You have to be joking." She said in irritation. "Him?"

"I think it could do him some good." The professor answered with a slight grin.

"I cannot accept this." Glynda continued, slamming down the stack. "I don't trust him. Putting him in charge of a bunch freshman is completely unacceptable."

"Now Glynda, calm down."

"Now you listen to me Professor." The huntress almost growled, slamming her hands down onto the desk. "That boy can barely show up to class without causing an altercation. If you put him in charge of a group you'd be giving him slaves…or minions."

"I disagree." Ozpin replied stoically. "I think an opportunity such as this is exactly what he needs to pull himself together. To this point he's largely been alone. You know as well as I do that isn't just because of his attitude."

The riled up huntress shut her eyes and rubbed her temples in frustration. She wasn't going to get anywhere with this. Ozpin was going to do what he wanted in the end. She sighed. "I think this program has merit." She began. "I will also accept his entrance into the program, but only with one condition."

"And what will that be?"

"If there is ever any indication that his actions are detrimental to the team he is assigned to, he will be removed from them immediately." Glynda declared, her eyes deadly serious. "I have been lenient to this point, but if that boy interferes with the freshman I will not stand idly by."

Ozpin considered her words. The woman always had been overly strict on the boy, but her words did hold merit. His track record to this point hadn't exactly been stellar; if only he could find some focus and live up to his potential. "I'll accept that condition." With that, Glynda grabbed the list of names with a stern look and headed out of the office; obviously riled up.

The headmaster sighed and turned to look out of his window. He was taking a gamble with this plan of his, and he knew it. The potential for success was equal to the chance for disaster. At the end of the day, he just had to hope for the right team. "Ichigo, this might be your last chance, don't do anything stupid."

_**AN: **__**To clarify, there is very little RWBY source material to work with, but I did what I could with what I had. There is a pretty significant section taken directly from episode 3 of the show. I don't like doing that, but I needed that bit of conversation to help bring the characters together and lead into more Vizard explanation. Otherwise I would have to completely re-tool the scene. **_

_****__**Any questions I would be glad to answer. **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: And here's ch.2 I don't have much to add to this note, so I'll just get to answering some questions.**_

_**TheDelta724- No, there is no set schedule. Hopefully I can update every 2 weeks or so.**_

_**Examine Draco- Think about how Vizards function. Most of the time they are normal, but can activate their mask and power at will. Abilities such as Bala, Cero, etc. may appear in time. Using the mask may have its own drawback however.**_

_**Bunny153539- Yes, the idea is for 1 senior per freshman team as a sort of guide/mentor to the new students. As far a set pairing, no there isn't one at the moment, and it is open to discussion. Ichigo has the same base issues as canon, but perhaps more exaggerated due to Grimm influence. Yes, that is what I meant with the burns, thanks for catching it. There will be no OC's. Your other questions may be answered in this chapter. **_

_**Well that about Covers that, now onto the chapter.**_

_**III**_

"So, any comments on what we've seen so far?" Professor Ozpin gestured to a large viewing screen. Him and other key members of Beacon Academy were currently seated around a large circular table, going over the footage from the Emerald forest.

"Well, obviously those two groups stand out in particular." Answered an older and pudgier Peter Port. "They did manage to defeat two rather dangerous Grimm; brings me back to my day…"

"Yes, it was rather impressive." A third man answered. He had unkempt green and large opaque glasses. He took a sip from a coffee mug. "Timely as well, a Deathstalker would not have had too much trouble with them alone at their level."

"I have a concern with the potentially all female team though." Interjected Glynda, looking down at her data pad. "I wonder if they could effectively work together." She pressed a button, rewinding the footage back to the start of the test; eventually Ruby and Weiss appeared on the screen; arguing. "These two have already had several confrontations during their time here, this simply being the most recent."

"It didn't seem to bother them much in their battle against the Nevermore." Peter replied, stroking his moustache. "You'd have thought they'd known each other for years."

"Perhaps, but you should know as well as I that things can change in the heat of battle Professor Port." The woman answered.

"You may have a point, but luckily enough it seems that her sister ended up on the same team." said Ozpin. "And the fourth girl seems quite reserved. If they have a problem now, I feel confident it will fix itself in time."

Glynda nodded before continuing. "I also want to bring up the boy from the other team, the one which fought the Deathstalker."

"Ah, yes Juane Arc." The green haired man sighed. "I met his grandfather once, years ago. Very respected man; I was actually surprised how… green he looked."

"'I agree, Professor Obleck." Port added. "At times I was wondering if he even knew how to hold a sword correctly. If not for that Phyrrha girl, I'm not sure he would have survived."

"He seems to have quite a lot of natural Aura though." The headmaster said. "So the potential is there; even if it may take some time…"

"Ha! Some…" Professor Port added with a snort. With where he was at, it could take years to fully train him.

"Yes." Glynda continued. "While the other members of his team seem quite skilled, he was the one which took charge in the actual battle; even if his actual combat abilities are sub-par." She sighed. "These two team setups could be quite risky."

"Why do you say that?" Port asked.

"They are the most talented groups by far." Glynda stated. "However, they both have their own potentially severe problems. Whether Juane knows it or not, he put himself into a leadership position; and I'm not sure that he can handle it."

"I see what you mean." Ozpin commented. "As well as the potential for in-fighting between the other team."

"Precisely." The blonde woman continued. "The other teams are less talented, but far more stable." She turned to look at Ozpin. "Your plan may have some merit with these two Professor, they may need all the extra help they can get; especially in these early stages."

"Ah yes, this new plan of yours Ozpin." Bartholomew cut in. "I've been meaning to ask you about that." He took a quick sip from his mug. "I assume you will take a team's strengths and weaknesses into account when assigning them?

"Of course."

"Then may I give a suggestion?" Glynda cut in.

"I don't see why not."

"Team JNPR needs someone reliable and intelligent." The woman continued. "With the right support they could become quite powerful; so I think we should assign them to Uryu Ishida."

"Ishida huh?" Port replied. "A little too serious for my liking, but the kid gets top marks in everything he does."

"Agreed, he is the most mentally gifted student we have had in some time." Bartholomew added.

"And a spotless disciplinary record as well." Glynda continued. "Juane may need all the help he can get, and working with Ishida could benefit him greatly."

Ozpin dropped into thought for a few seconds. "I agree with that, mark it down." Uryu Ishida had been the top scoring student in his class ever since freshman year; if anyone could hasten Juanes development, it would be him.

"While we're on the topic of assigning these mentors," Port began. "I think we should go ahead and choose the one for the other team as well."

"Team…RWBY? Well let's see." The headmaster changed the images on the screen to show the four member of the new team. "Like we said before, there seems to be friction between two of the members. However, the potential of the group is quite high."

"If I remember correctly, two of them are Qrow's nieces." Glynda commented. "And the one with the white hair is Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust empire."

"Odd for a girl like her to want to be a huntress." Port commented.

"Perhaps, but she seems more than capable." The blonde woman continued. "The last one is a bit of a mystery however. The large screen zoomed in on the face of a girl with a bow and long black hair. "It says her name is Blake Belladona and she is from a simple town to the east; but I'd be willing to bet there's more to it than that."

"What do you mean?" Ozpin asked.

"Call it a feeling."

"Well anyway, we should figure this one out soon." Bartholomew cut in, taking a drink from his mug. "It's getting rather late."

"Alright Professor Obleck, do you have a suggestion?" Replied the headmaster.

"There seems to be a lack of discipline and camaraderie within the group, although some of that can be expected this early on." The professor explained. "Unlike team JNPR, this group seems far more centered around straightforward combat. So I'm thinking a highly reliable individual with a focus in that area would be ideal."

"I see." Ozpin commented. "Well we all know who the student with the highest marks in martial skills is. The problem is, do you think he could manage it?"

"Martial skills…" Glynda mumbled to herself. "Wait! You don't mean Kurosaki do you?"

"Yes actually." The headmaster continued. "If we believe this team has strong combat potential that would be one way to go."

"It could work Ozpin." Bartholomew added. "My only concern is the boys never been on a team before; that and his behavioral record has been…spotty."

"Spotty doesn't even begin to cover it." Glynda half shouted. "That boy is trouble." She had dealt with his attitude far too many times in the last couple of years to just let this slide. It had been a concession to let him into the program in the first place; placing him as the mentor to one of their most promising new teams was out.

"Professort Port, what do you have to say about it?" Ozpin asked to the eldest man in the room.

"Ichigo…hmmm." Port began to think. Could he handle something like this? He hadn't even been on a team before. The experience could undoubtedly be positive…but if something went wrong… No. Better to not think like that. He knew the boy better than anyone else in the room, his words held a lot of weight, so he would have to be careful about what was said. He thought long and hard; this was an important question, one which could have heavy implications. His mind drifted to the time they had spent together, to the day he had first met him, to the time he took him in as a son.

III

FLASHBACK

Ichigo

Ichigo Kurosaki.

The pair had managed to discover the name the boy's now deceased father held in life. None of the villagers they had found knew much else besides that. The man had appeared with his son only a month or two before the attack had taken place. Apparently the father, (now known to be named Isshin) had spent his time working odd jobs in the area to pay for his rent. Not a soul seemed to know anything about his status as a Vizard.

They took the boy back to Vale and attempted to find someone to look after him; but without any luck. The longest he would last at any of the nearby orphanages or shelters in the city would be only a few days. Even at such a young age, he proved to be far too much for the caretakers to handle. His wailing was incessant, his strength enough to break out of cribs and, perhaps unintentionally, terrorize his fellow toddlers.

Before too much longer there was nowhere left to turn. The boy had garnered a reputation and was feared by any and all children's homes for miles around; quite an achievement for a two year old. Professor Ozpin wasn't quite sure what to do with the child. He couldn't raise Ichigo himself, he was far too busy with his work at the academy. It wasn't until Peter Port, Ozpins partner on the day the boy had been found, decided to step in that the child found a permanent home. The elder man had been weary of the Vizard boy at first, but he had grown on him with time. Every couple of weeks, Professor Ozpin would come by and visit. The meetings never lasted for very long, just a chat to see how the boy and Peter were faring. Port never had a child of his own, so perhaps raising Ichigo would be the fulfillment of that long time wish. To help him focus on this new task, he was given a lengthy leave of absence.

Not to say that the problems ceased.

In fact, with age they only seemed to get worse. The boys teeth began to grow in, the canines were decidedly pointed. The initial idea was to get them filed down, but that proved fruitless; as they would grow back seemingly overnight. At schools he was becoming a terror, demanding the other children do as he says, and smacking those who disagreed. It was more like raising a young thug than a normal child.

Sensing a potentially disastrous large lack of knowledge on the horizon, Port delved into research in his free time, that is to say, whenever Ichigo wasn't causing chaos in his home. There were many legends surrounding the Vizards which could be found fairly easily, in fact they were quite the popular topic for aspiring fiction authors; a fact which gave the professor no shortage of headaches.

On one of his visits, Ozpin had brought him an old, dusty, and tattered text which he claimed might be of some use. He had been told it was an autobiography of an insane man; convinced that some monster was taking control of his body, a description fitting the classic legend of the Vizard. He had gazed through it lazily, but even with what little knowledge he had been able to accumulate, he had a suspicion that the man may not have been too crazy after all.

The book was in remarkable shape for being as old as it was; some of the dates listed having occurred some five-hundred years in the past. The book seemed to have written by someone named Shinji Hirako; and its first topic of the book was a recollection of stories from the man's past.

"_When I was growing, I knew I was different. Twas' not until adulthood that I realized how different."_

The man described a childhood shockingly similar to another he knew. He never knew his parents, living a life on his own in the wilderness for most of his childhood. How he survived the earlier years were still a mystery, but before long he was accepted into a nearby town.

_"I found civilized life to be…boring. I couldn't help but feel unfulfilled."_

He went on to describe something he called "the itch." Whenever he was made angry or upset, urges would begin to bubble up inside of him, violent urges. These feelings would only become worse with time.

_"It was as if someone was telling me to harm them. Another me, wanting nothing but to maim…destroy…kill. During my time in the wilds I have no recollection of such desires, only of my will to survive against the creatures of the night."_

He then explained how he came to leave the town; the result of a particularly brutal brawl between him and some local drunkards. Leaving soon after, he wandered out into the wilderness once again. After the events of that night, there was a large gap in the information the book provided; the next entry dated almost fifteen years later.

_"I have returned. I now understand myself, there was ever only me. My troubles were not with monsters, but with what I am, or rather what I am not. I have made my mistakes, but what more can one expect when asking a pig to plow, or a dog to crow the morning call." _

The last line struck Port like a ton of bricks. "What more can what expect when asking a pig to plow, or a dog to answer the morning call…" It was so obvious; it almost pained him to admit he had missed such a simple fact. Ichigo was not human, or at the very least not completely. It was foolish to attempt to raise and hold him to the same standards as the others. He was a being born to fight, to hunt, to eliminate the Grimm with no hesitation. Holding him in playpens was the same as caging a wild beast; instinct cried against it. His "violent" behavior as a toddler was simply his instinctual version of play, something which the other children simply were not ready for. Putting that aside, it was obvious the author of these entries must have been experiencing a similar problem to Ichigo, if not the same one entirely. If that was the case, what else didn't they know?

In an attempt to satiate the seemingly instinctual need to fight, Port began to have mock battles with the now five year old Ichigo. He gave the boy a wooden sword and told him to try and land a blow before he could. Ichigo looked up at the man with a confused look in his eyes, before grasping the small toy sword. Before long, the child took the challenge to heart and attacked the professor with gusto; swinging his sword, only to have it deflected with ease. The man in question couldn't help but be surprised at the level of coordination the boy had at his age, as he launched attack after attack. While Ichigo had no hope of actually hitting the highly skilled huntsmen, he never let up. After about fifteen minutes of straight sparring, the professor lightly tapped the boy on the head, signaling his victory. The child froze in place at the contact, apparently shocked. He looked up at the Port with a look of utmost surprise, before slinking off to his room with a blank look in his eyes. The professor watched him go with a hint of worry, Ichigo had lost, and it was obvious he didn't know how to handle it.

Or so it seemed at first. The next day, Port found himself defending himself in his parlor from a surprise attack from above. Ichigo had climbed to the top of a bookcase and leapt down when his caretaker was in range. The professor scrambled for something to defend himself with, eventually grabbing an umbrella. The two went at it once more, Ichigo on the heavy offensive, and Port with amused blocks and slow counterattacks. They fought throughout the entire room, wall to wall, over tables, and across couches. Before, once again, Port ended the battle with a light tap on the head. Grunting in frustration, the boy once again moped out of the room; leaving the Professor to chuckle at the scowl etched into his young face. Over the next few years, these mock battles would become a daily ritual; Ichigo launching a surprise attack, and Port repelling him with ease. Perhaps as an added bonus, the disciplinary problems which plagued him earlier in life began to lessen considerably.

These daily fights seemed to satisfy whatever desire had been pushing Ichigo to misbehave. His behavior in schools and in public was improving steadily, and Port no longer had to worry about complaints from other children's parents about black eyes and bruises. When not fighting, the man and his adopted son got along quite well. Meals were without incident, but completely lacking in any form of civility. The boy's stomach was akin to a sink hole, everything within a three meter radius would disappear in a matter of seconds. Port made a decent salary, so expenses were not an issue; in fact he found much of it fascinating.

After his eighth birthday, Ichigo had found one of Ports textbooks on the varying known species of Grimm, and took to almost instantly. The professor was unsure how to react when he discovered this newfound interest. Most young boys took to fairy tales about hero's saving people, but Ichigo seemed more interested in the physiology and tactics of the Grimm. But he supposed that could be expected, Ichigo was not a normal boy after all. "Tell me boy." He had said. "Do you know what you're reading?"

"Something called the Grimm." Ichigo replied, flipping the page.

"Do you find it interesting?"

"Yes." The boy responded softly. He paused before continuing. "I know this."

"Pardon?"

"Some of the things in this book, I feel like I've seen them before." The young Vizard added, lifting up the book to show his father.

It was a picture of a Beowolf, one of the more common varieties. "I see." The professor replied. How could he have seen them before? To his knowledge, Ichigo had never seen a creature of Grimm before; as far as he knew the boy hadn't even know about them until that day. "What do you mean you've seen them before?"

"I haven't." Ichigo explained, turning the page. "It just seems familier."

Port began to think. Ichigo sensing some sort of relationship with the Grimm wasn't entirely unexpected. If the legends were true, then he may have some of their blood coursing through his veins. He thought back to when he and Ozpin had found the boy's father, and the bone white mask. Just where would this Grimm influence appear?

Being a professor of Grimm studies, the elder huntsman wanted to see just how much Grimm-like behavior would be present in the boy. Through their fights, he had already noticed that he seemed to view him not only as a father, but as a challenge. It was akin to the mindset of a pack animal. The alpha male was in charge because he was the strongest of the group. Ichigo must view him as something similar, a person to beat to be the one in charge. Even if that was the case, there was rarely any animosity between the two. During their fights, the young Vizard would always fight to win, but never swung to kill.

These fights seem to amuse Professor Ozpin whenever he stopped by. It was common for him to take a seat and stay for the whole battle, even if it stretched on for an hour or more. Afterwards he would always give a word of encouragement to the young Vizard.

Despite the boys sheer tenacity in these fights, he liked any form of technique, and Port(being quite a skilled huntsman) never had any real challenge from the boy. The gap between them was simply too large, that is, until the mask appeared. It had been six years since their fights had begun, and Ichigo was now eleven years old. Over time, their daily fights had grown increasingly destructive and had to be moved away from the home.

Taking a bit of a risk, the professor had decided to bring the boy along on an excursion. With age, Ichigo had only grown stronger and faster, to the point to where he surpassed what could be expected from the average full grown man. Port found it more and more difficult to deflect his attacks, and before too much longer he may even have to start using Aura in their bouts. He had called for the boy, and when he appeared, ready to fight once more; the professor held up a hand. "Today we will not be fighting one another." He explained. "Today we hunt for Grimm."

Predictably, Ichigo had been ecstatic about the change in plans. His interest with the Grimm had only grown with time, perhaps because the professor delighted in telling someone of his own grand exploits.

Port had come across information about a small pack of Beowolves in a nearby forest. It wasn't a large enough group to cause any significant problems, but it would have to be dealt with sooner or later. He had decided to take on the job in an attempt to get back in the swing of things, and bringing Ichigo along would be an added bonus. He was confident the boy could handle himself against Grimm of this level fairly easily, his ability at least on par with the average student at Signal Academy. After the two had prepared themselves, and Ichigo had been given a proper sword; they departed.

They reached the edge of the forest around mid-afternoon. If they were going to get rid of the Grimm, they would have to do it quickly. Beowolves would have a distinct advantage after nightfall. "Alright listen Ichigo." The professor began to explain. "There are a pack of Beowolves in these woods and you need to be careful…"

"Ambush predators, they hunt in packs, I know." The young Vizard answered with a smirk. "Let's get going already."

Port grinned and readied his blunderaxe. He had learned well. "Righto, let's sally forth!" The pair entered the forest side by side, searching for their prey.

They had been walking further and further into the forest for about ten minutes, before Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks. His body stiffened, and his eyes grew wide.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Port asked, concerned. With no warning, the young vizard bolted as if shot out of a cannon, in the direction of the deepest part of the forest. "ICHIGO!"

Keeping up with the boy became more and more difficult. There were constant shifts in his movements; becoming increasing unpredictable. A familiar sense of dread began to creep over the professor as they went deeper; a sure sign of the Grimm. That gut feeling of danger was one of the biggest signals that those of the Grimm were nearby; and it kept getting stronger. That wasn't a good sign, Beowolves shouldn't be that powerful… Suddenly, a loud bestial roar ripped through the area, chilling Port to the bone. "ICHIGO!"

With a burst of speed, He burst through the trees and into a clearing. With a gasp, he took in the sight before him. Now it should be noted, while Beowolves may not be too much of a threat on their own, a pack could be deadly. Legions of sharp teeth and razor-like claws attacking from all sides was a difficult situation, especially for someone new to fighting them. Port had been planning to take on the brunt of their forces and leave maybe one or two for Ichigo to finish off. What he was looking at now left him in a state of shock. There were almost a dozen dead Beowolves lying on the floor with varying levels of injury. Some missing limbs, some beheaded, and others with their chests seemingly caved in. It was a massacre. He looked to his left, and his mouth gaped open in surprise. There was Ichigo, his back facing the new arrival. With one arm up, he was pinning one last Beowolf up against a tree, apparently staring it down. There was an audible dripping of liquid; the beast was pissing itself. "Ichigo!" Port cried out once more, trying to bring the boy back to his senses.

The boys head turned, but it was not cheery face that greeted him. The once brown eyes were now a dull gold, the whites of his eyes now pitch black. His face was covered with a bone white mask in the vague shape of a skull, one red stripe visible over the right eye. Port stepped back in shock. It was just like his fathers all those years ago.

With a twist of his hand, there was an audible snap, never breaking eye contact with the stunned professor. He released the creature and its body slumped to the ground, its neck broken. It turned to face him completely. Outside of a few rips and tears in his jacket, the boy was almost entirely unharmed. "Ichigo?" Port half mumbled, half pleaded. What had happened to him, was this who he really was? Where was the boy who seemed so was excited just a couple of minutes ago? With alarm, he realized the sense of dread in the area hadn't abated in the slightest. It hadn't belonged to the Beowolves at all, it had been Ichigo. The professor had wanted to know the extent of the Grimm's influence, and now he did.

Slowly, Ichigo raised his right hand over his face. He seemingly grasped air and ripped straight down. The mask covering his face became jet black, and without warning, seemingly dissolved into nothing. When the boy opened his eyes again, gone were the black and gold, and back were his usual brown. The young Vizard raised both his arms behind his head and grinned. "That was fun Gramps, let's do it again!"

The professor let out a great sigh of relief and slumped down to the ground, leaning up against the base of a tree. That had scared the hell out of him. He had thought the boy lost.

"Hey what's wrong? Don't tell me you're tired already."

The elder huntsman chuckled. That was still Ichigo alright, still as eager as ever. Even so, there were questions which needed to be answered. "Ichigo, why did you run off like that?"

"I sensed the Beowolves, so I attacked, duh."

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"Uh…" Ichigo began. "I dunno, I just didn't."

Port sighed. Of course he didn't; the boy had always been impulsive. "Next time, let me know before charging off by yourself!? You just about gave this old goat a heart attack!"

"Sorry." Ichigo replied with a half roll of his eyes. What was he so mad about; they came here to hunt, so he did.

"Also…" the huntsman said, beginning to stand. "That mask…" Ichigo winced at hearing the word. "Where did it come from?"

"I…uh." Ichigo began, scratching the back of his head. "I don't really know. When I sensed the Grimm nearby it just kind of happened. I felt like I was on auto-pilot for a while. My body seemed to know what to do. I felt something creep over my face and it scared me a little, but I felt such a surge of power when it did. I felt great, invincible!"

Instinct again, the professor noted. It seemed so much of the child's behavior goes back to instinct. The legends got one thing right at least; Vizards were born to hunt the Grimm. He knew very few people who could physically handle a pack of Grimm toe to toe and come out as well as Ichigo had, and he was only eleven. The potential was staggering. However one thing weighed heavily on his mind. When that mask was on, the wave of pure malevolence it issued was almost palpable; that and the sheer level of brutality on display in dispatching the pack was worrying…

"Also…" Ichigo continued. "As soon as I found them, I knew I had to do something about it." He turned to look at the elder huntsman. "There was a village not too far from here, with a pack this big; they may have attacked pretty soon. I wanted to get rid of them, but when I sensed them I just…HAD to." The young Vizard sighed. "It's like you said, our world is teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear us apart." He grinned. "As far as I'm concerned we're just returning the favor."

The professor stood still in surprise for a moment before bursting out in bellowing laughter. "Right you are my boy, right you are." Maybe there wasn't too much to be worried about after all. The Grimm were the things that went bump in the night, perhaps once again the world would have a monster to bump back. He turned to leave the clearing and motioned for Ichigo to follow. "Come along now boy, we have to get back in time for supper."

"You got it Gramps." Ichigo called out, following behind. "By the way, I expect to have a shot at you when we get back."

END FLASHBACK

III

Yes, the mask had been rather frightening at first, but he had been able to keep it under control. Port doubted he would put those around him into any danger; in fact the opposite was more likely; charging into a dangerous situation without a second thought because others need help, just like his father. But would he be able to….

"Professor Port." A sharp call shook him from his recollection. Glynda Goodwitch was staring him down from the other side of the table. "How long are you going to sit there? I've been awaiting your answer patiently. What do you say?"

The elder huntsman shook his head and cleared his throat. "As you all know," he began. "I've spent more time with Ichigo than any of you, and as such have the best understanding of what he can and cannot do. The boy…my boy…may be a little rough around the edges. He has his problems, he is strong willed, stubborn, impulsive, and rather short tempered. But even so, in my eye he hasn't proven himself to be anything less than an outstanding huntsman. I believe he could excel if given the chance."

"I strongly disagree!" Glynda answered. "He's reckless, stubborn, and has little to no respect for authority! He hasn't attended any of the classes we've taught on Aura manipulation; which may I remind you, is a central skill to being a Huntsman."

"Ms. Goodwitch you know good and well why he never goes to those classes."

"Yes, and that brings up the most important part of this." The blonde woman continued. "A Vizard is an unknown, Kurosaki was never placed into a team because of his…unique character. While he has been shown to perform quite well in individual combat scenarios, I don't know how well he would function when responsible for a team…

"Now wait just a minute…"

"A team need I remind you that holds Qrows' two nieces and the Schnee heiress. I just cannot believe that it is an acceptable risk."

"Ichigo isn't like that." Bartholomew added. "He has his problems, I agree with that, but in such a direct combat centered team, he makes the most sense."

"I agree, he has the most raw talent I've seen in generations." Port replied, a grin growing under his moustache. "And I can personally guarantee there will be no problems with his behavior."

Glynda growled in frustration, before turning to the headmaster. "Well Ozpin, what do you have to say about this?"

The headmaster of the school looked between the faces in the room, careful to pick the best response. "I want Ichigo Kurosaki to be a part of this program we are instituting. However, I'm not sure if this is the right fit for him."

"…but Sir." Port began.

"No buts Peter." Ozpin replied swiftly. "Glynda has a solid point. This team is a potentially volatile one, with some high profile members to it. It has to be handled very carefully." Port slunk down in his chair, obviously disappointed. Ozpin looked at his watch. "It's getting rather late, I'll take the rest of these with me tonight and set up the mentors with their ideal teams." He gathered up the papers piled atop the table. "Before anything is finalized, I'll send copies to you all to look over; if you think changes are in order let me know as quickly as you can. Tomorrow we make these teams official, and put this mentor program into effect."

_**AN: Alright, so I may need to clear the air a bit. The majority of this chapter is focused on showing some aspects of Ichigo's childhood and emphasizing the relationships between him and some of the staff of Beacon. Port is a sort of father figure, Bartholomew is indifferent, Ozpin is more of an invested benefactor, and Glynda doesn't like him very much. I hope she doesn't come off overly bitchy. From what I got of her character, she seems to be very analytical, and it makes since to me if she is skeptical on whether or not Ichigo can be trusted.**_

_**Some people may say Ichigo is a little too powerful at his age. In the "Red Trailer", we can see Ruby mowing down hoards of the things with relative ease, and she was 15. It isn't difficult to believe that something with inhuman physical ability and an instinctual drive to hunt Grimm to be capable of a similar feat at 11. **_

_** Once again, any questions I would be glad to answer. Thanks for your support.**_


End file.
